Choices and Consequences
by Yokomi
Summary: Sakumo was going to commit suicide that day. But would it be fair to Kakashi to find his father in a pool of his own blood? Would it be fair to Minato to force him into parenthood to a child who was not even his own? Sakumo has finally made his decision. He was sure that everything will change from now on.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes: This just came to me while I was reading a book that had nothing to do with 'Naruto'. I thought it wasn't fair for Kakashi to grow up without a father despite everything… especially when he needed him the most. That's how this fic came into fruition, hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN DBZ!**

Sakumo regarded the sharp projectile with a peculiar sense of calm. The gears in his mind were whirring quickly, giving him all the pros and cons of going through with his plan, just like they would when he was on a mission. _A mission…_ where everything went wrong… when his world toppled from perfect to worthless in less than five minutes, with just one shout from his teammate, declaring in panic, "I missed!"

 _Sakumo willed his legs to move faster as he jumped from roof to roof. A messenger bird (because their ANBU were too busy protecting the village) had flown to his house mere minutes ago, informing him of an urgent summons by the Hokage. The letter did not contain anything about his newest mission, but Sakumo did not hesitate as he went through the methodical movements of bidding his young son farewell and ordering him to bed before he was bounding off into the early hours of the night. He landed soundlessly outside the mansion and greeted the ninja gathered outside._

 _There were three ninja in total, excluding the Hokage's secretary. One of them, Amasawa Keijo if memory served him right, was adept at genjutsu. Some people would even say he could rival the Uchihas' natural prowess. Sakumo had served alongside the man more than once and he could confirm that Keijo's talent was indeed as great as the rumors say._

 _His eyes scanned the next shinobi. He recognized the man from numerous encounters during the war (they had saved each other's lives more times than he cared to count) and could place a name on him almost immediately. It was Akai Jin. The man that was so good at handling any kind of weapon and wielding any type of sword. The great thing about him was that he hit his target every single time._

 _Sakumo's eyes flitted over to the last presence. A lovely woman with a heart-shaped face and dazzling green eyes met his gaze. The kunoichi raked a hand through her dark brown hair as they waited for the Hokage to grant them entrance. He recognized her to be one Soyokaze Suki. Contrary to the gentle meaning of her name, the woman excelled at making things explode. She had some medical expertise but nothing too major. She also had the ability to sense chakra over a certain radius._

 _He mentally started his analysis of the situation. If these three were to be his teammates, and he was almost a hundred percent sure they were, then the mission they were going on was going to be pretty dangerous. Dangerous enough to send the White Fang with a genjutsu expert, a weapons master and an explosion-causing professional. He also noticed that he had worked with each of them at some point in time. He leaned against the wall. Just what kind of suicide mission were they going to be sent on?_

 _After what seemed like an eternity, though it couldn't have been more than ten minutes, a three-man squad exited the office. The secretary ushered the four shinobi inside not a second after the others had passed. The Hokage smiled kindly at the four Jonins as they greeted him accordingly. He took a long drag from his pipe and let it out slowly._

" _I'm afraid that this mission I'm going to give you is one that will be rather difficult," Sandaime paused, "But I chose you four for this specific reason as I'm sure you'll be able to pull it off," he continued with a smile, "We got information from a reliable source that Iwa has many warehouses. These warehouses are keeping them fully stocked, medicine-wise and food-wise. Thus, while our stocks will end because due to us not being able to restock at the current time, theirs won't. That's why if the warehouses are kept intact, Konoha is sure to lose the war… if not now then in the near future," The Third continued seriously, "You are to destroy the warehouses… and under no circumstances should you fail!"_

" _Hai!" the four chanted together._

" _You leave at dawn," the Hokage ordered as he handed Sakumo, the team leader, a rolled up scroll. The Jonins, then, dispatched to get ready, silently agreeing to meet at the Village Gates. Sakumo returned home relatively quickly. He checked on Kakashi and was happy to find his child sleeping in his bed, just like he told him to. He let a small smile cross his face before it was replaced by a more serious expression as he started getting a pack ready. The Hokage didn't tell them how long the mission would last, so he packed enough food rations for a couple of weeks. He filled his canteen with water and carried a few extra in case they took long to find a place to drink from. He checked his weapons' pouch before double-checking everything. His uneasiness, however, compelled him to check his pack yet again. After he was satisfied, he sat down and opened the scroll._

 _A cold vice-like grip grabbed hold of his heart as he read each word. He was expecting the warehouses to be inside Iwa's borders… but he didn't expect them to be that far in. They had to cross three watch towers, not to mention the place the battle was actually taking place. It would be easy to slip past their numbers where the warzone was generally at. Things were simply too chaotic for anyone to really see someone sneak past. That's why there were watch towers. Now those were the real problem. Especially when they had no clue how they were structured or what number and level of shinobi were located there. Sure, Intel said that the numbers were not great… but he couldn't help but feel anxious. What if the information was faulty? Sakumo sighed as he rubbed his temples. There were too many ways this mission could go wrong._

 _He shook his head and put on his gear. It was almost time to meet his team. He checked on his little boy one last time and summoned one of the smaller dogs to watch over him. He was sure he wouldn't need that one on this mission. With one last glance, he vanished and was on his way to the Gates. He arrived just in time to hear the last bit of chatter._

" _What's up with you, Keijo?" That was Suki speaking, "You're practically glowing,"_

" _I just got wonderful news!" The genjutsu expert exclaimed, "My wife just gave birth! I'm a father now! I have a baby girl!" he said, his glowing smile as big as his face. The kunoichi congratulated him and promised to come see the baby after the mission was over._

" _Congratulations, Amasawa-san," Sakumo said as he dropped beside them. Neither Jonin was surprised, which made Sakumo inwardly grin. Good to know that their skills were still reliable. He just hoped the man would live long enough to be by his daughter's side and watch her grow._

 _They didn't have to wait long for the third member. Soon, they were jumping from tree branch to tree branch as Sakumo assumed his role and explained the mission. Just as Sakumo thought, sneaking past the enemy was easy at the warzone, especially with the help of their fellow Konoha nin, who did a great job distracting their opponents. They skillfully kept out of sight and avoided any close encounters with the Iwa nins. It took them hours to see the first tower of three looming over the horizon. The tower stretched high into the sky and it had walls on its right and left sides so that it would be impossible to cross further into Stone's territory without entering through the watch tower first. It was more a defensive structure than a tower, really._

" _Everyone ready?" he whispered once they stopped. Although they couldn't strategize, they could still try to gather information in order to come up with a possible plan._

" _Hatake-san," the only female on the team whispered back, "I can't sense any form of human chakra from the inside," she said as she opened her eyes. The four shared quizzical looks. How could the watch tower be deserted?_

" _We'll scout the place… Exercise caution," Sakumo ordered, "Amasawa-san, Soyokaze-san, take the outer area of the area… Akai-san, we'll search inside," The three nodded in acceptance and the duos set off to their assigned tasks. Sakumo and Jin treaded carefully as they closed in on the gates. The Hatake fingered a kunai in each hand, his saber tied securely on the strap on his back. The weapons master settled for a sword he gripped with both hands. At Sakumo's nod, the other braced himself. The silver-haired man tried pushing the door slowly first. He wanted to keep their presence a secret from anyone who was in there… if there was someone inside, that is. He was surprised when the door opened easily. His eyes narrowed as he studied the interior of the tower. Other than a few upturned chairs, the place was barren. He tried to release genjutsu, but he wasn't under one. Jin was studying the footprints on the ground when he approached him._

" _This seems like a major evacuation," he commented, "People were here yesterday or the day before,"_

" _Could they have known that we were coming?" Sakumo wondered out loud to which Jin answered with a shrug before their teammates appeared._

" _All clear," the new father said, "Here too?" Jin nodded, but Sakumo was deep in thought. What should he do?_

" _Shall we move on?" the kunoichi asked, already heading to the other side of the building and into the enemy's territory again. The three males followed her, and soon they were at top speed again heading to the next structure. Just like the one before it, this second tower was abandoned. Sakumo's orders did not change, however, and they swept the area once more. Suspicious as he was of the Hokage's reliable source, now more than ever, Sakumo ordered a stop._

" _We might have gotten information from an undependable source, as I'm sure you've figured out by now," he started, "It is impossible that the Stone did not put any defenses to protect the village… I'm guessing the forces that were supposed to be here were resituated to the last tower,"_

" _We're completing the mission, though," Suki said, "You heard what the Hokage said; we absolutely cannot fail this mission!"_

" _It would be suicide," Keijo remarked, "We're only four and they're probably over a hundred,"_

" _We're four of the best though!" The kunoichi exclaimed, minding the volume of her voice but not its cheery tone. Sakumo willed his mind to work up productive ideas… but he came up with a blank. The logical call of action would be to return back to the village. He reviewed what happened with them during the mission up till now._

 _They easily sneaked past the enemy's front lines. They got to the tower, only to find out it was empty. They reached the next one, yet it was vacant as well._

 _Sakumo's eyes widened as it finally dawned on him. They were being played… right from the very beginning. The reason why they were able to slip past Iwa was because they were letting them. They were drawing them in! The question was why. Why would they want a couple of Leaf shinobi? It wasn't like the Hidden Leaf would give up a war for the sake of four people. Not even when one of those four was the Legendary White Fang. He thought about it some more. If they got rid of the White Fang and a few other Jonins, the death rate of Iwa nin would most likely drop by at least ten percent. While the percentage may seem little, it is quite significant in a war, especially when only one of them was the cause of almost five percent of their deaths. In war, anything matters, anything goes. So this might tip the scales in Iwa's favor, even if it was by a small margin._

 _Going back to the village was out of the question. He was almost positive that Iwa has them surrounded. The only possible plan of action was going forwards. As he looked at his teammates, he knew they realized that as well._

 _Thus, forwards and onwards they went. They tried to come up with a plan as they headed to the site, and they did come up with a somewhat decent strategy. First, Keijo will mask their presence under genjutsu. Then, Suki would explode the tower from above, causing large chunks of stone to fall, and thus take a lot of the soldiers' lives. Next, Jin would aim at the close survivals with his weapons. Finally, all four will go in and kill any remaining enemies. It wasn't a foolproof plan; on the contrary, it had too many holes, but it was the best their nervous brains could come up with at the moment._

 _As they neared the area, Sakumo ordered a final halt for preparation. He checked his weapons again, his soldier and chakra pills, wire… everything was there. For this plan to work, Keijo would have to cast his genjutsu at precisely the right moment and at the exact level that would make it almost unnoticeable, Suki would have to sneak silently, for Keijo's genjutsu would mask their very presence but would shatter at the first loud sound they emit, and place her bombs before setting them off, Jin would have to be extra careful so that his weapons would hit their target, and Sakumo would have to be good enough to kill the remaining soldiers. Hopefully, they'll be able to pull it off. Sakumo touched the hilt of his tanto boldly before the team dispatched._

 _Once they were close enough, Jin called for them to stop. He kept his eyes shut for a few minutes, and all four could feel the slight tug of genjutsu. Jin assured them beforehand that while they would feel it, their would-be assassins wouldn't. The three trusted in his words and continued the operation. Suki's role started next. She treaded carefully between the ranks of the shinobi on the enemy's side. There were no ninjas on top, so getting her work done was easy. She got her explosives on a large area of the ceiling, making sure that they were placed in such a way that they would create big pieces that would fall on top of the soldiers. She nodded once she was done and returned to her team's position. The bombs she was using this time were only strong enough to break the ceiling, so her team was safe from them despite their close distance. She set her hands in a seal and activated her favorite weapons. The bombs emitted a loud boom and the ceiling started falling. Tortured screams echoed from inside and Suki could feel the number of people inside dwindling rapidly._

 _The soldiers outside watched with wide eyes as the toppled ceiling caused the walls of the building to collapse as well. Jin took that moment of distraction to launch a series of senbon aiming for the pressure points. Each senbon hit its mark and soon the bodies of the guards started falling one by one. Jin shot every shinobi or kunoichi that came out of the collapsed structure. When no others came out, the team moved inside. Blood was everywhere, which was to be expected, the bodies were crushed under the rocks, but the Konoha team had no pity for them. They were only doing their job._

 _No survivors were left alive. The squad of four worked ruthlessly and efficiently, Keijo's genjutsu long removed. They refrained from using jutsus in the small space in fear of causing what was left of the tower from collapsing. They could hear shouts approaching their location. Thus, without a word, they slipped away from the area and continued further into the other country's borders. By the time the reinforcements arrived, the team of uninjured four was already long gone._

" _We're almost to the warehouses," Sakumo stated once they were far enough. His teammates nodded. This mission was proving to be easier than expected. He was sure that those ninjas weren't the only ones put to defend the village, the reinforcements being a prime clue. More were placed around the warehouses, no doubt about it._

" _There they are," he heard Jin say and they skidded to a stop._

" _I sense a lot of people in there," Suki commented, "Way more than the ones who were in that tower," Sakumo nodded, he already suspected that._

" _Can we go with the same plan as before?" Jin asked, his eyes glancing at their last, out-of-breath teammate._

" _I-I just need a few moments," Keijo said as he put his hands on his knees and panted loudly, "Genjutsu of that level just take a lot out of me, I'll be fine in a minute," he explained, "But even then… I won't be able to do it," Sakumo bit the inside of his cheek as he thought. Suki would not be able to get close enough to plant her explosives without Keijo's jutsu._

" _If he can't do it, then we need some sort of distraction," Jin helpfully supplied, "Hatake-san, you're fast and strong, more than a few soldiers will run up to attack you. You're our best chance," Sakumo nodded, he was thinking of something like that himself, "Amasawa-san and I will cover you from here while Soyokaze-san plants her bombs," The four agreed on a signal after which Sakumo was supposed to retreat so that Suki's explosives could go off._

" _Alright, let's do this," The four nodded to each other one last time before Sakumo jumped into the guards' line of sight. His team got into position, following him from behind the safe cover of the trees. When the soldiers from the upper level started firing at him with various kinds of weapons, Suki crept away from the others. She silently went up the wall, sending a kunai through a man's heart before he could scream for the others about her. She worked like a killing machine as she made her way to the top. Numerous bodies were left in her wake, all of which belonged to shinobi of low-Chunin level._

 _After what seemed like an eternity of dodging, Sakumo heard the signal. The previously unscathed man was now adorning various injuries of different sizes, but he wasn't too bothered by them, they weren't particularly deep. Fortunately, no poison-coated weapons were being flung at him. Once he was at a safe distance, Suki set the bombs off. The soldiers' attention shifted from the White Fang to the exploding warehouse. 'One down!' the four teammates thought at once, 'two to go!'_

 _They knew the same plan wouldn't work twice on the enemy. Thus, they talked as Suki patched the Hatake up. Her green chakra was a relief to his system. 'Maybe some of them were deep after all', he thought with a grimace. They watched the remaining soldiers not bother with looking for them and divide into two groups each heading to a still-standing warehouse. The warehouses had a significant distance between them that it would take a lot of precious time for Suki to prepare each of them then explode them at the same time. When they asked if the other team members could prepare the others while she worked on one, Suki replied that she had to be the one who puts them so that they would react to her chakra. Apparently, her stronger explosives and the normal explosive tags were activated differently. Therefore, that plan was shot down._

 _Their plan this time was that they would use jutsus to bring down the warehouse. However, Keijo pointed out that the Stone probably had a defensive barrier around each of them. Nonetheless, he provided the solution as he popped a chakra pill inside his mouth._

" _I think I can destroy the barrier for a limited time… but I can only do it once,"_

" _Think?" Jin questioned with a narrow of his eyes._

" _It's the best we got right now," Sakumo replied with a sigh. He really hated missions where the information given was faulty. It made his life that much harder. With that said, Keijo got his jutsu ready._

" _Now!" he ordered and all three of his teammates launched a strong jutsu. The warehouse toppled over, its contents burned, the hot flames becoming stronger as the night breeze reached them. The enemy was now distracted by the fire, but some of them were heading their way, now that they were in plain sight. Jin took out a few of them with his accurate hits, Suki and Sakumo were helping as well, but the last member was panting hard on the ground._

 _The enemies were just too many. Sakumo quickly half-dragged, half-carried his fallen comrade to safety as he ordered the others to fall back. The foreign ninjas were hot on their trail but they only followed them to a certain distance before going back to protect the final warehouse. Every time the Stone nin had an opportunity to run after them and possibly kill them, they would retreat back to whatever it was they were guarding. The only warehouse left was the biggest one of them. They really should have started with that one first and then worked their way to the other two. Now, they didn't have Suki's explosives or Keijo's jutsu to make it crumble. Or Keijo at all for that matter, Sakumo thought as he glanced at his still-panting teammate._

" _What are we going to do now?" Suki's question was directed at the team captain. There was a ninety percent chance that they would die if they even got close to the biggest warehouse. However, if they were to turn tail and flee, the mission would be failed as Iwa will still have a source for supplies which was less than a day away from the battlefield. If they die, they will fail. If they escape, they will also fail. There was no hundred or even a fifty chance of success of the mission and getting back to the safe, safe village behind the protective walls._

 _Sakumo, then, found himself faced with only two choices. The first one was to go in anyway and try desperately to destroy the warehouse, killing himself and his teammates in the process and thus leaving his son and Keijo's newborn daughter without their fathers. The second one was to run away and save his comrades, saving both children from suffering through childhood without their fathers._

 _The White Fang was no fool, however. He knew that if he did choose the second choice, he would suffer dearly for his actions… Kakashi might possibly get drawn in his shame as well. The question he should ask himself was what was more important? The success of the mission and misery in two children's lives or the failure of the mission and misery in only one child's life? Never mind the fact that in both cases his son would be the one getting the bad end of the deal._

 _Sakumo nodded to himself as he made his decision. It was time to inform his injured comrades of his order._

Needless to say, everyone in the Leaf Village now knew what his decision was. He chose the second choice. Where only his son would have to bear with his failure. He thought that if they were both there for each other, things would be easier. The decision he took made perfect sense at the time. He thought that Kakashi would love to have his father around, despite his failure. He thought that Kakashi wanted him to be around, if only to have one of his parents alive and well. He thought that his comrades would be a tab bit more compassionate and stand by his side when everyone called him a traitor. He thought that Keijo would be glad-ecstatic even- to be given the chance to watch his daughter grow up.

How wrong he was.

His son immediately shut down when he learned of the terrible mistake his father had made. And suddenly, his hero was no longer his father. His comrades, instead of thanking him profusely for saving their lives, blamed him for the never-ending war and the many lives lost. His Hokage pulled him out of the ninja world, thus the only way he knew how to live was no more.

So here Sakumo was, handling his tanto that earned him his nickname. Kakashi was out training with his sensei. Minato was a good man. He even tried to reason with his only child once but to no avail. Sakumo turned the blade over in his hand. If he were to die one day, Minato would surely look after his son for him.

If this day were to be his death day, Minato would make sure Kakashi was properly taken care of, he was sure.

With determination shining in his eyes, Sakumo held the tanto, its hilt on the opposite end of him and the sharp end pointed towards his body. He brought it down in one fluid motion.

Then, it stopped a mere hairbreadth from his abdomen.

He wanted to end his life then and there. Partially because his family's honor would be restored. Partially because his son deserved better. And partially because he simply did not want to live a second more in this twisted world with its cruel ways.

But would it be fair? Would it be fair to Kakashi to find his father's cold body in a pool of his own blood, family tanto settled too deep in his gut? Would it be fair to Kakashi to live without his real father for the rest of his life? Would it be fair to Minato to be plunged into parenthood, to be a father of someone else's kid, at such a young age?

Sakumo watched his reflection on the blade. How different depression had made him look! He shook his head. What he wanted did not matter. What he needed did not matter. What was important was Kakashi.

With new vigor, Sakumo threw the tanto across the room and stood up. It had been a long time since he went outside. It had been too long since he trained. Getting depressed will not help solve anything. It was time he took action and counterattacked.

It was time for change.

 **Author's Notes: I hope everyone liked this story! Now this story is marked complete, but I can definitely continue, so if you want this story to be continued, say so in a review or a pm!**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes: Since the first chapter got such positive feedback, I have decided to continue writing this story. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter as well!**

 **Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING!**

 **Chapter 2**

Kakashi's eyes narrowed in confusion. He opened the door as slowly as he could, wincing at the slight _creak_ it emitted. He pursed his lips under his mask; something was definitely wrong. The air smelled different, sounds were coming from the kitchen. He stealthily approached the kitchen door and peeked around the corner.

"You can come in any time you like, son," Hearing _that_ voice startled him. It had been so long since its owner had spoken to anyone about anything to the extent that Kakashi thought he had lost his voice. He bit his lip as he entered the kitchen.

"What are you doing?" his own voice came out colder than he expected but he wasn't about to apologize. Once upon a time, he wouldn't have said such a thing to his father without immediately apologizing afterwards, yet now… he couldn't care less. He would never, _ever_ apologize to the _traitor_. The older Hatake was quick to recover from the shock at the lack of respect and stared at him like he had grown a second head.

"Can't you tell? I'm cooking," he stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world… which it really was. Why else would he be in the kitchen, holding a spoon in one hand and a cookbook in the other.

"Oh…"

"You're free to join, if you want," the younger one shook his head a little too quickly provoking a pulse of hurt to spread through Sakumo's body.

"I already had ramen with Minato-sensei," With that said, the child turned and went up the stairs as fast as he could. The ex-Jonin watched his son go with an expression filled with sorrow. He knew his son would be hard to reach. Seems like he would have to work extra hard, then. Maybe a talk with the boy's teacher would help, as well. The smell of something burning shook him out of his thoughts.

"No, no, no!" he turned off the stove. The once raw meat was now but a charred piece of black. He didn't look forward to eating out. However, going outside was one thing he would have to face sooner or later if he wanted any chance at regaining his previous honor and saving his son from the villagers' hatred. He heaved a deep sigh before he followed his son upstairs. Perhaps he'd have ramen, too.

-oOo-

Minato cheerfully slurped the broth simultaneously ordering another bowl of the sweet deliciousness that was ramen. Granted it wasn't as great as Kushina's homemade cooking, but it would have to do since he had no right to ask Kushina to make him a dish out of the blue. Once his first bowl was finished, he immediately started with the other. He had asked Kakashi if he wanted to join him, but the boy had refused. Minato didn't like it one bit. Ever since the White Fang's mistake (which wasn't really a _mistake_ if he could say so himself), the younger Hatake had been distancing himself away from people. Slowly retreating into a shell, memorizing and following the rules to an insane degree, Kakashi was becoming the perfect shinobi.

However, the perfect shinobi didn't regret, didn't show his emotions to the extent that the Yellow Flash wondered if he could _feel_ anything. Thus, the fact stands that the perfect shinobi was _not_ a human being.

A commotion brought him out of his reverie. With his eyes narrowed, the blond peeked out from the shop and was surprised to see a silver-haired man standing outside. _Is that… Hatake Sakumo…?_ He told Teuchi that he would be right back before he exited the small place, striding confidently towards the older shinobi.

-oOo-

Sakumo trudged towards the ramen shop with a seemingly unhurried pace. He could hear the whispered snide comments the people were exchanging, but he tried to ignore them as much as possible. None of them dared to approach him with those remarks, yet the civilians were clearly forgetting that he was a trained shinobi and could hear every word they said.

"That's the White Fang. Well, at least he used to be,"

"The White Fang? I heard the war is still going on because of him,"

"Yes, it's true! That damn traitor!"

He shut out the many voices; he didn't want them to dampen his mood to the point where he would do something he would regret. He had been successful up until a drunk-looking shinobi decided to make an appearance. Judging by his vest, the guy was a Chunin. He hoped his skills weren't too rusty as not to be able to defend himself against someone who should be supposedly weaker than him if a fight were to break.

He made to sidestep the drunken man, but he wasn't allowed to. He crossed his arms and waited for the onslaught of words that was sure to come.

"How could you even show your face in public after what you've done?!" the man's angry words were slurred, "Do you have any idea how many lives your failed mission cost?!" Sakumo sighed through his nose while rubbing his masked chin, "The Shinobi Rules clearly state that a ninja from Konoha should never abandon his mission no matter what the circumstance! But did you, White Fang, care at all?" the man's voice was too loud for the Hatake's sensitive ears, "No! You just had to break the rules, huh Hatake?!" The man aimed a punch at his midsection, but his actions were too slow, Sakumo held the man's hand in one of his own. The shinobi fruitlessly tried to free his hand. The previously famed shinobi let out a breath before letting go, causing the man to fall back on his bottom.

The Chunin glared at the silver-haired ex-ninja as he leapt at him. Sakumo dodged every punch he tried to hit him with, every kick he aimed at him. The other ninja was starting to get frustrated and it showed with how much more power he started to put behind every attack.

"Just go home, Shinobi-san," Sakumo was beyond disgruntled that tracking every single move the Chunin was making was proving to be difficult. _Well… that's what I get for slacking off for such a long time._

"Don't you dare order me around!"

"What's going on here?" A familiar voice questioned as its owner approached them, "Shinobi-san, you do know that attacking any Leaf resident is considered a great act of treason, do you not?"

"He's not a shinobi of Konoha! He's a traitor!" The usually happy-go-lucky man had a dark glare set on his features.

"Sakumo-san might not be a shinobi anymore, but one thing is for sure, he is a Leaf resident," the blond's smile was fake as he continued, "Please leave now and go home," Apparently, the Chunin wasn't drunk enough yet to reproach the higher-ranked shinobi, the _Yellow Flash_ no less. With one last dirty look directed at Sakumo, he flew off. Minato glanced at the crowd of civilians and they quickly averted their gaze, each heading off to continue whatever it was they were doing.

"Hello, Hatake-san," the man's smile was cheerful and true as he greeted his student's father, "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing alright. Better than yesterday, at least," Sakumo wasn't about to admit almost committing suicide, "What about you, Namikaze-san?"

"Fine, fine," the blond answered, "It's fancy seeing you out of the house for a change," Minato's eyes widened, "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" All the silver-haired man did was chuckle amusedly as the blond fumbled an apology.

"It's alright," he said as he eye-smiled, "You're right. It's about time for a change, don't you think?" the blue-eyed man nodded vigorously provoking another round of chuckles, "I was just here to get some ramen,"

"Great, you can come join me, if you'd like," With a raised brow, the older shinobi followed the Yellow Flash into the shop. The owner of the shop, Teuchi if he remembered correctly, did not criticize him nor did he send him not so discrete glares. The change in attitude towards him was welcome.

"You're pretty hungry, Namikaze-san, for someone who just ate, I mean," Minato cocked his head to one side, confused, "Kakashi said he had ramen with you just a while ago,"

"Oh! That! Well, I love ramen!" Minato was surprised at how easily his lie had come out. He couldn't- _wouldn't_ tell the Hatake the truth for some reason.

"I hope you don't rub off on him too much, it's not healthy to eat only ramen,"

"I don't eat _only_ ramen," He replied with a roll of his eyes, "Talking about Kakashi… there are some things I think we have to talk about," It was Sakumo's turn to be confused.

"Is something wrong?" The prospect that something actually might be wrong caused seeds of worry to blossom in the parent's heart, and Sakumo felt his heart beat that much faster.

"He's okay," Minato was quick to assure him, "Physically speaking," he continued, "I can't help but feel that he is emotionally unstable at the current time. As his teacher, it concerns me and I merrily wanted to draw your attention to that," he paused for a second, "Now that you're feeling better, I thought you and I can work together… for Kakashi's sake,"

"Of course, I understand," Sakumo said as he nodded, unconsciously slipping into shinobi-mode, "This is all my fault to begin with," he muttered mostly to himself, "Where should we start?"

"First, we eat," Minato said with a bright smile. Sakumo's eyebrows rose above his hairline before he laughed wholeheartedly as the Namikaze took another slurp from his bowl.

-oOo-

He clutched his stomach for the umpteenth time in the last hour as he lay in his bed. He ignored its insistent growling and told himself that he wasn't hungry. However, his clenching stomach begged to differ. Someone knocked on his door. It didn't take a genius to figure out who it was.

On the other side of the door, Sakumo bit his lip to refrain from reprimanding his son for what he did while holding take-out ramen in his hand. He instantly knew his son had lied to him when he had first asked Minato about it. Although he didn't like it, he could at least understand it. The mistake he had committed had cut his son deep, his little chat with Minato at the ramen stand after that had further enhanced that theory. It would be completely logical if Kakashi didn't want to spend time with his ex-hero after he had so thoroughly disappointed him.

Nevertheless, as a parent, Sakumo couldn't just let it go. Lying was wrong, but this was not just about that. It was something more. Contrary to the well-known fact that there is one horrible thing that could happen to a parent, there were actually two terrible things that could occur. The first being attending their own child's funeral. The second being having a child who doesn't care about them.

As Kakashi's father, he wouldn't be able to live with himself if his own son didn't want him around. Thus, he knocked again.

"Kakashi," he called, loud enough for his voice to reach his son, "If you're not opening the door, I'm coming in," He heard a sigh then the sound of soft footsteps. The door creaked open just enough for his son to come out before he quickly closed it behind him.

"What do you want?" his voice was too cold for a six-year-old. Sakumo ignored his son's impoliteness and held out the bag in his hand instead.

"Take-out," The kid looked at him from under his bangs, scrutinizing him. He made a move to grab the bag but Sakumo put it out of his reach. Kakashi glared at the taller man (Sakumo found it excessively amusing and… dare he say it… cute), "What do you say?" His son mumbled something under his breath and he strained to hear.

"Thank you," he said after a while as he held out his hand, looking anywhere but at his father. The older Hatake handed him the bag.

"How about we train later?" his father asked. Kakashi's first impulse was to refuse instantly… but as he finally met his father's gaze, he felt something churn inside of him. His throat suddenly clogged up for some reason or another. His once-hero's eyes were filled with an emotion he could not name and Kakashi found it hard to just decline.

"Maybe," he choked out before he spun around and went inside his room. He only caught a glimpse of his father's small smile as he closed the door.

-oOo-

Sakumo was disappointed when he didn't find his son in his room the next morning. Disappointed, but not surprised. Perhaps he could mull over what Minato had told him the other day.

 _The blond finally finished slurping the last of the broth before he patted his stomach with a goofy grin on his face. Sakumo found it hard to believe that this was the same man that could kill hundreds of men in a flash._

" _Now that we're both done," his face transformed from carefree to serious in a matter of seconds, "Let's move on to more important matters," the blond eyed him as he continued, "I'm sure it's not news to you that Kakashi has been putting more distance between himself and people over the months because of the mission," the teacher sounded worried, "He has also grown an obsession with Shinobi Rules due to that. He thinks that if he follows the Rules to the letter, he won't have to go through what he's going through now," Minato rubbed his forehead, "The path he's following will lead to him being the perfect killing machine, almost completely unfeeling… he's aiming to become the perfect shinobi," the Yellow Flash grimly stated, "And you know as well as I do that such a path will only serve to further hurt him in the long run,"_

" _I know," the ex-White Fang replied, "What should I do to help him?"_

" _It's going to be a lot of work, Hatake-san. On both your part and mine," his son's teacher said, "I'm ready to make all the necessary sacrifices to help my student… are you?" the silver-haired man almost snorted._

" _He may be your student, but he's my son," Sakumo said, his voice coming out harsher than he expected, "If it's going to help him, I'll do anything," he continued, regaining his composure. Minato eyed him for a moment or two before nodding with a satisfied smile on his face._

" _Awesome, now here's what you're going to do," he started, "You have to continue your training, maybe ask him to spar every once in a while. That way, Kakashi will see just how great you are," Sakumo gave him an incredulous look, "What I mean is… he'll see that despite everyone bad-mouthing you, you can still stand strong," he mentally shrugged before the blond continued, "You can also try to take him out to dinner, maybe make something to eat together, you know, to maintain a good relationship with him," No matter how hard he tried, Sakumo couldn't imagine Kakashi helping him cook anything with a big smile plastered on his face._

" _Just how much thought did you give this?" the other man pouted and the silver-haired man found himself wondering just how young he really was._

" _Not much… but I thought you could give it a try nonetheless," Sakumo gave him a smile, not that he could see much of it with the mask on._

" _Yes, Namikaze-san, I appreciate it," he said, "I'll try my best. It's my son we're talking about, after all,"_

He has started to try with his son, he was certain Minato will prod him as well. Maybe if they both worked together, Kakashi would be able to return to the way he used to be before his huge failure. 

**Author's Notes: And we're done! It's not as long as the previous chapter, but I think some developments have taken place no matter how small. It'll be a long way still before Kakashi finally opens up and I have plans for the villagers as well! So stay tuned!**

 **A Response to the Reviews on Chapter 1:**

 **Jleath1234:** Don't worry, as you can see Minato is not completely withdrawing from influencing Kakashi and the two will certainly have their moments in chapters to come! ;)

 **Seth7:** I'm glad you think so! I have some major plans for this story as well, hope I get motivated anough to update quickly XD

 **Picturis:** Thank you ^^

 **LadyInulzayoi:** Thanks, I hope you liked this chapter as well! It's really nice to hear from you! :D

 **ThePlotBunnies:** Did you enjoy the new chapter? I would love to know what you thought of it!

 **Thanks for reading everyone! See ya next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Notes:** I'm sorry for the long wait! But here is the third chapter! I hope you enjoy (although I think you're going to kill me when you get to the end of the chapter XD).

 **Disclaimer:** I OWN NOTHING!

 **Chapter 3**

Sakumo doesn't let Kakashi's unannounced departure deter him. He goes out to the house's yard, slips into a very familiar fighting stance (he ignores the way he suddenly feels nervous and how his body feels just plain _wrong_ in his most used fighting stance) and starts by doing a few katas he knows he should remember.

The exercises he used to do without breaking a sweat are much harder now. His body, skinny from lack of eating and too out-of-form from lack of training, can't get into the flow of the katas, can't do them the way it used to, can't make them seem graceful and effortless and dance-like.

Sakumo sighs heavily, in regret or shame or irritation he doesn't know, but he knows it isn't due to anything good. He shakes his head and tries to remember his training, back when he was a Genin, or maybe even before _that_. Unsurprisingly, he can't remember anything beyond the strong desire to become stronger, faster, deadlier, better (and a world of good doing all of that has done him).

Remembering Kakashi's Academy days is harder still, despite having happened just a year or two ago. Kakashi, for all his genius and maturity, has always been an independent child. Sakumo can't remember a time where Kakashi depended on him to do _anything_ at all, except during his infancy, which is to be expected (Sakumo has a feeling that if his cute little baby could have talked at the time, he would have demanded to be left alone as he tries to change his own diaper, or better yet, potty train himself).

He decides to leave the supposed warm-up exercises for later. He settles for refreshing his memory and is a little satisfied that he remembers all the seals, although his wrists ache a bit as they relentlessly move from Boar to Snake to numerous others. The speed he used to possess as he moved between the seals is all but gone, but he knows that, if he practices enough, he'll regain that speed in no time.

He stops his throbbing hands when he thinks it's time for a different exercise. He starts a series of push-ups, two-handed and even that is tiring, which is… disappointing, to put it lightly, since he used to do one-handed push-ups with ease.

Seriously, Sakumo knew that he's out-of-shape, but he didn't know he is that out of practice too. _Well… I have plenty of time to return to the way I was… and maybe even better than that… It's not like I have anything else to do all day,_ he thinks of his lost Jonin rank and the absence of missions that comes with the loss.

He quickly shakes his head before he can get even more depressed and frustrated with himself than he already is, _I'll go see what Kakashi's up to… and who knows, maybe Namikaze-san will agree to have another student on his team._

-oOo-

"Sensei," Minato forces a smile on his face as his student whines (Kakashi would call it reasonable arguing, but Minato's been around kids enough times to know a whine when he hears one), "Why do we have to take D-ranks? Our skills are more useful outside the village, where we're actually doing something important rather than wasting our time on weeds," The Hatake complains, his right eye twitching dangerously.

"Someone has to do them. It's us this time. We have to do them and that's that," His answer doesn't placate the young shinobi, but he doesn't protest again. Minato thanks the Shinobi Rules, specifically that one rule that clearly states that a ninja must always follow his superior's orders. That rule makes one Namikaze Minato's life much easier and one Hatake Kakashi's life that much more boring.

Minato sighs. He isn't about to tell Kakashi that the reason they aren't getting any high ranked missions is that Kakashi is directly related to Hatake Sakumo, the village's current greatest bane and traitor (and scapegoat as well, Minato really feels sorry for Sakumo… He hasn't done anything wrong).

 _And speak of the devil,_ Minato thinks to himself as he notices the tall silver-haired ex-Jonin making his way down the street. The elder Hatake is attracting a lot of hostile attention just by performing such an innocent act as walking. The boy at his side pauses before he takes the next step and skids to a halt. Minato glances at his young charge. The blond places a hand over Kakashi's shoulder and leads him towards the older man. It's obvious by the set of his shoulders and the narrowing of his eyes that Kakashi isn't happy with the situation, but he Kakashi doesn't struggle nor does he break out of his teacher's hold. Minato takes that as a good sign.

"Hatake-san," Minato greets politely. Kakashi shifts his weight from foot to foot, but he looks at his father from under his bags. Minato wouldn't call the stare a glare, but it comes pretty close. Minato pats Kakashi's head once, strong enough to show the boy that he isn't pleased. Kakashi's sort of glare shifts to his teacher instead. Minato smiles brilliantly. Kakashi lets out a long-suffering sigh but nods in greeting.

Sakumo watches the exchange with well-hidden hurt. It's obvious that Kakashi respects Minato… respects him very, very much. Perhaps as much as he had respected Sakumo himself, back when he was the White Fang, back when he was a well-respected Jonin, back when he _mattered_.

Sakumo forces his eyes to crinkle into a smile, "Namikaze-san, Kakashi… what are you two doing today?"

"A bunch of D-ranks… but we'll probably train later. Maybe you'd like to join us?" Minato suggests with a look that dares Sakumo to refuse. The Yellow Flash ignores Kakashi's surprised expression. _It'll do the both of them a lot of good. Step One, initiate!_

"Sure. I guess I can join," Sakumo says without thinking… which is a problem. In his excitement to prove himself to Kakashi once again, he has completely forgotten his new-found sloppiness.

"Great! Come to Training Grounds Ten at about five. We'll be waiting for you!" Minato exclaims cheerfully before he waves and drags Kakashi to complete their missions. That gives Sakumo about four hours before he ultimately proves his uselessness and sloppiness to his only son.

Sakumo is no idiot. He knows that regaining his past strength and experience is going to take more than a few hours. It might even take weeks before he's half-decent again. He hopes Minato has some semblance of a plan for this kind of situation. Sakumo watches the student and teacher go with an unreadable expression dancing in his eyes. He heads home and starts trying to throw shuriken at the targets lying about in the yard.

Sakumo is proud to notice that he never misses any of the targets… but he doesn't exactly hit the middle either. He throws the sharp projectiles over and over, hoping that somehow, by some miracle, he would be able to impress his young son and reclaim his respect and admiration.

 _Who am I kidding? This is hopeless… I'm hopeless._ Sakumo thinks back to his suicide attempt. Maybe he should have gone along with it after all. It would have surely saved him a lot of trouble. During the time between his suicide attempt and now, Sakumo has only discovered just how much of a failure he really is, both as a shinobi and as a father.

Sakumo remembers Kakashi's respect for his teacher. How he hadn't even _argued_ with him when he was obviously put-off by the Jonin's suggestion. Minato can make sure Kakashi grows up to become a respectable ninja, strong enough to kill those who are dangerous but compassionate enough to know when he doesn't have to.

Sakumo misses the days when Kakashi used to look at him with the same respect, the same admiration, the same love he shows when he looks at Minato now. The Namikaze has become more than just another sensei, another name added to Kakashi's acquaintances. He's become a father, a _dad_ , at least more so than Sakumo can ever hope to be.

 _I guess my decision's already been made… It's only a matter of time, huh?_

-oOo-

 _Kakashi's sulking,_ Minato's mind, ever helpful and tactful, provides. Minato grins and covers his laugh by coughing, _He's so cute!_

"You can help instead of standing there," The Hatake complains as he pulls out a weed. If this is the work a Genin team is supposed to do… Well, Kakashi can see why a team is supposed to be made up of three.

"This is the last mission for today," Minato says instead of dignifying Kakashi's dry comment with an answer, "Why don't you go get your father after you're done?" The young shinobi freezes before he shakes himself quickly.

"He knows the way to the training grounds," Kakashi replies after a while. He chances a look at his teacher and internally slaps himself. Minato has that look on his face; the one that says he isn't going to give it up until Kakashi succumbs. Kakashi finds that he doesn't want to yield so easily, not this time… and unless Minato pulls rank, he isn't going to do it. It's bad enough that he has to deal with his father for the whole training session.

"That's an order," Minato says, his tone not leaving room for any arguments. Kakashi's eyes widen comically that Minato would have laughed if the circumstances hadn't been so serious. Kakashi recovers quickly and grumbles as he pulls out the last weed. He shoots his sensei a withering look and heads to the house.

He lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding as he pushes the door open, "I'm home," he says unenthusiastically. His soft footsteps echo throughout the house, "Father?" he calls because he can't hear movement inside the house. He makes his way to the elder Hatake's bedroom, but he doesn't find his father inside.

Kakashi's heart beats faster and faster. He can hear the thumps of his heartbeat resound loudly in his head that it's the only thing Kakashi can hear, "Father?" he calls again, hoping that maybe he simply didn't hear him the first time. _But… it doesn't matter if he's gone… that's better for everyone, right?_

Kakashi stops. Where has that thought come from, exactly? Of course it matters if he's gone… because if he suddenly disappears, then Kakashi would be left all alone, he'd be the last Hatake. It might be better for the villagers… but Kakashi really doesn't want to be left alone. He might have been independent and forever relying on himself and himself only, yet that doesn't mean that he doesn't need anyone else.

He glances at his father's study. The door is ajar. He takes a deep breath and walks towards it. He pushes the door casually, but the loud creak the door makes as he pushes it is proof enough of his nervousness. He peeks inside, "Father?" He can see a figure hunched over the mat. The lights aren't on, Kakashi can't quite make out his father's features, but he's sure it's him.

He takes a heavy step inside, his bare foot making contact with a some liquid (Kakashi doesn't look down. He doesn't want to see red). Sakumo doesn't even stir. Kakashi's heart beats even faster. Although out of practice, that noisy a step is sure to grab the elder Hatake's attention. In the weak light, Kakashi can't even tell if he's breathing. _What if-_ He doesn't allow that line of thought to continue. Kakashi doesn't remember a time during which he was this uneasy and tense.

He sprints to his father's side.

 **Author's Notes:** So are you going to kill me or are you going to kill me? Is Sakumo dead? It doesn't look good for him, let me tell you. Please leave a review to tell me what you thought of this chapter!

 **A Response to the Reviews on Chapter 2:**

 **Lady InuIzayoi:** Thanks for your continued support! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, cliffhanger and all XD

 **lalalightwood:** I love Sakumo as well… enough to kill him, right? XD Please tell me what you thought of this chapter!

 **Seth7:** Thanks! Maybe the inevitable was just postponed a bit? Hope you liked this chapter though!

Until next time!


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Notes:** Sorry for the exceedingly long wait :S My stories are probably going to be on hold till the end of the schoolyear, but after that, I'll definitely have more time to write!

…If anyone wants me to, that is XD

 **Disclaimer:** I OWN NOTHING!

 **Chapter 4**

He's close to his father, and he hopes it's not a body. He pauses when he's mere centimeters away. Something has a vice-like grip on his heart, and Kakashi doesn't entirely want to cross those last couple of steps that would bring him right next to his father, "Father?" He calls out again. The older Hatake doesn't stir, but everything in Kakashi's stomach does. This close, he can see his father's clothes soiled with a certain dampness, "Father?" Kakashi's voice is more desperate, but Sakumo still does not move. _Because dead people can't move, Baka._ Kakashi's inner voice tells him what he doesn't want to believe.

That thought has Kakashi moving, crossing the last couple of steps with tears shimmering in his eyes because, no matter what he said, no matter what he did, he never intended for things to spiral out like this, "Father?" Kakashi's hands stir Sakumo repeatedly, "Father?" His attempts become more panicked, and the thought that this just might be a crime scene doesn't matter enough to stop him.

He hears a moan. All thoughts in his frantic mind skid to a screeching halt. _Because dead people don't moan._ Wide, dark eyes so much like his own, yet very different blink open, "Kashi? Is everything alright?" Sakumo asks as his eyes blink a number of times just so that he'd stay awake. Kakashi wants to hug him and yell at him all at once because how _dare_ he pull something like that over his own son?

"No," Kakashi all but whispers. With his eyes instantly alert, Sakumo sits upright and forces his son closer.

"What's wrong?" Sakumo asks, oblivious to the problem at hand, but he sees the tears in his son's eyes and that's all he needs to know.

"Look," Kakashi says in irritation as he points at the liquid on the floor. Sakumo follows Kakashi's fingers and sees what he's pointing at.

"Ah, that. I believe I broke a glass," Sakumo admits with a half-hearted laugh. He gets up, "Why didn't you turn on the light, Kashi?" Sakumo asks as he does so himself. Kakashi is half-afraid he's been talking to a ghost and almost winces when his eyes fall on the red blood he's sure he's going to find on the floor.

…Except the liquid on the floor isn't red, nor is it blood.

Sakumo casually mops the spilt liquid with a dry cloth. Kakashi finds a broken glass of sake not too far away, "You could have gotten hurt," Sakumo comments as if nothing is wrong. It finally clicks in Kakashi's head.

"It's time for training. Please get ready," Kakashi says after a moment's silence. He's surprised at his own tired tone.

"You sound tired, son," Sakumo remarks, "Are you feeling alright?" Considering that he's just dealt with one of the most frightening times of his life, Kakashi is not feeling alright at all, "I'll tell Minato-sensei that we're not coming if you don't feel fine,"

"No, I'm okay," Kakashi replies, "Please hurry," He doesn't want to stay any longer in the room that could have been his father's death place. He gets out without another word to wait for his father outside the house.

Sakumo takes the moment to collect himself. He wonders what it is Kakashi saw that upset him so much, worried him enough to feel the need to cry. Try as he might, he couldn't figure it out. He decides to keep it at the back of his mind; he'd think about it when he could. He puts away the clothes he spilled sake on and puts on clean training clothes. They fit, somehow, even if they hung too loosely in some places and too much in others. _We'll fix this._ Sakumo decides. He puts a smile in place as he exits the house, "Ready to go," He says cheerfully, partly to try and calm the dazed look in Kakashi's eyes and partly to lift the uncomfortable air around them.

Minato is waiting for them in the training grounds with a bright, cheery smile that matches the twinkle in his eyes. He seems oblivious to the new hole Sakumo has somehow dug between himself and his son without even knowing it, or he just doesn't want to bring it up.

"So, first, why don't you show your father what you can do, Kakashi?" Minato suggests, "Show him how much your aim has improved," Minato says, even though Kakashi's aim has been great for a while. Kakashi nods almost mechanically. He has two shuriken in his hands in a moment. They fly in the air and hit the bullseye with a dull thud. Minato smiles proudly. Sakumo feels sick. It's not that Sakumo is uncomfortable with the fact that Kakashi is probably throwing deadly projectiles at living human beings with the same ease, that is something every shinobi man, woman and child has to do. No, Sakumo is more worried that he won't be able to do just as good.

"That's very good, Kashi," Sakumo says, "But, maybe it'd be better if you hold two shuriken in each of your hands. It's not that hard," Sakumo reassures, "That way, you can throw shuriken at more enemies at once. And, I think you can pull it off,"

"Yes, that's right!" Minato joyfully agrees.

"But… how do I hold them without hurting myself? And, how do I make sure these shuriken hit the targets I want them to?" Kakashi asks, furrowing his brows in thought. He looks at his teacher for an answer.

"It requires a bit of practice," Minato allows with a nod, "But, it can be done. And, with enough practice, you will be able to do it, too," Kakashi seems skeptical, and Sakumo can just see where this is going, "Care to demonstrate, Hatake-san?" Sometimes, Sakumo wishes he'd just keep his big mouth shut. He's sure he won't be able to pull it off. _But, at least Kakashi's looking at me now…_ Sakumo thinks as he smiles and nods easily, despite the nervousness quickly spreading through his body.

The feeling of the shuriken in his calloused hands is still odd, like he's found an old, familiar glove that fit his hand perfectly. He shows Kakashi the correct way to hold two shuriken in each hand without accidentally cutting himself on the sharp edges. It's easy enough to do, and Kakashi's genius mind quickly catches on. He has the shuriken in his hands in a perfect image of his father. _How do you even throw these like this?_ Kakashi wonders. The shuriken aren't all that comfy in his hands, but they aren't supposed to stay there for long anyways.

 _Here goes…_ Sakumo thinks, mentally getting ready for whatever reaction Kakashi's going to have. He feels something is amiss, but he throws the shuriken in a moment and without much thought, "Huh… It really does work," Kakashi muses when the shuriken fly from his father's hand to hit the targets dead in the center. Sakumo has to fight in order not to gape like a fish out of water. Kakashi is looking at him again. A stretch of silence follows, and Sakumo is put off by it, "Show me again?" Kakashi asks with not a little bit of hesitation. Sakumo thinks it's the best thing he's heard in a long time.

"Of course," Sakumo says with a wholehearted laugh. He repeats the process many times after that, and each time he hits his target right on, even if he feels like something is amiss each and every time. They move on from shuriken throwing to Taijutsu to Ninjutsu, and Sakumo doesn't screw up, not even once. It amazes even him, or maybe, especially him.

"I think that's enough for today," Minato calls when the sun has long since went down, "We'll start again tomorrow, same time!" Kakashi starts leaving, purposefully slowing down so that his father could catch up, "Actually, Hatake-san… maybe we can speak for a bit?" Minato says as he approaches Sakumo, "It's important," Taking the hint, Kakashi runs off. Sakumo gives Minato a questioning look.

"I thought you wanted me to spend more time with Kakashi," Sakumo comments offhandedly.

"Well, yes…" Minato amends, "But… I thought we could speak about this first," Minato says as he puts up his hands in the release sign. Sakumo ducks his head in embarrassment. He knew something was wrong! He should have known Minato had them under a Genjutsu, "Don't worry, I understand," Minato is quick to reassure, "And, it'll be our little secret," Minato says, referring to the badly thrown shuriken. _Well… at least they all hit the target… except for that one in the tree…_ Sakumo winces and doesn't bother to look for them all.

"It's pretty bad," Sakumo admits with a disappointed sigh.

"Just your aim," Minato encourages, "Your Taijutsu is alright, but I know it used to be better. Your Ninjutsu is good, but you were faster before, I'm sure," Minato stops himself with a soft chuckle as he rubs the back of his neck, "But… sooner or later, Kakashi's going to come to you for lessons. I can already see that, at least, some of his admiration for you has returned," Minato sighs, "And I won't be around to fool him,"

"I've tried to train," Sakumo informs him, "It's not working. I'm too old for… this,"

"What you need, Hatake-san, is something to force you to reestablish your former formidable skills," Minato says seriously, "I can help you… I want to help you,"

"How can you fix what I have become? You've seen how bad it is," Sakumo mutters under his breath. Minato smiles, Sakumo isn't too sure if the smile is intended to be as creepy as it looks.

"I'll be waiting for you here at six sharp," Minato says as he pats Sakumo's shoulder once and turns to leave, "Don't be late," Minato waves over his back before running off. Sakumo is too late to ask him just why he's trying so hard.

-oOo-

After leaving his father with his teacher, Kakashi finally has some alone time to think about what he's seen earlier that day. It isn't something he ever wants to see again, Kakashi decides, especially with their relationship as strained as it is. He wants to rebuild that relationship with his father. He doesn't want to drive him to do something they would both regret. He doesn't want to live without his only living family.

"He's started getting out of the house,"

"I saw him training with his son,"

"He doesn't see just how much he has messed up, does he?"

"Trying to live his life normally,"

"Shush, shush. His son's right there. He might here you,"

"So what? It's not like either of them can do anything about it anyways,"

It's hard, Kakashi knows, to stand up for one person in the face of the many. He's not entirely sure he could-

Someone lifts him up and puts him over his shoulder, "Hey, brat! Let's have a talk,"

 **Author's Notes:** Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter :D Please leave a review to tell me what you thought of this chapter!

 **A Response to the Review on Chapter 3:**

 **Alexa Hiwatari:** Thank you for reviewing :3 I hope you liked how this chapter turned out. Please let me know what you thought! Looking forward to giving them a chance to be a family ;)

 **Until next time!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Notes:** Surprised? XD I certainly am. I felt very encouraged by the reviews left on the previous chapter that I really felt like finishing this one! Thank you so much, guys!

 **Disclaimer:** I OWN NOTHING!

 **Chapter 5**

Kakashi's first instinct is to lash out at the person holding him by the back of his shirt's collar. He catches the person's jaw with a roundhouse kick and smirks when he hears a yelp that's more pain than surprise.

The person doesn't let him go. If anything, his grip tightens, and the little Hatake finds himself forced to sit on a too broad shoulder of a too tall man. It takes him a second and a look at the person's long white hair to figure out just _who_ it is he's just kicked, and another moment to say, "Sorry, Jiraiya-sama," But, the gleam in his eyes tells another story.

Jiraiya grumbles, "You don't even sound sorry, brat," Jiraiya sighs, only half exasperatedly, before he continues, "You're Sakumo's brat alright," Kakashi's mood sobers upon hearing his father's name, and for once in a long time, it isn't because he believes his father is a complete failure, "What's the matter, kid?" Jiraiya asks, keenly aware of the people whispering words of poison and Sakumo's spawn's sudden, if slight, change in demeanor.

"It's nothing," Kakashi says in a tone that's too quiet and too tense to be truthful. Jiraiya flashes a grin that's full of warning at the villagers and keeps a secure hold over the kid sitting over his shoulder. The villagers know better than to speak in anything higher than a murmur, if they do at all, with someone, who _can_ and _will_ do something about it, so close to the Hatake buffoon's son.

"Gah, it doesn't sound like nothing, kid," Jiraiya says as he shrugs his shoulder, provoking Kakashi to frown as he is jiggled.

"I just want to go home," Kakashi answers. Jiraiya starts walking to fulfill his request, but his gait is extremely slow, and Kakashi just knows the Sannin won't let him go without getting what he wants out of him. Kakashi sighs, long and deep, to show his frustration and annoyance. Jiraiya's innocent grin almost blinds him.

"So, I heard your father has started going out again," Jiraiya comments after a moment of silence. Kakashi hums affirmatively in reply, but his response lacks any cheer, "That's a good thing. Is he okay?" Kakashi's brows furrow, and he struggles for an answer, "What? Did something happen? You can tell me, y'know. It'll be our little secret," Jiraiya says with a wink, trying to sound unconcerned if only to put the little kid's mind at ease.

"I'm not sure," Kakashi says finally, well after Jiraiya thought he isn't going to get an answer. Jiraiya hums to show that he's listening, but he doesn't want to force the boy to say anything too quickly, especially if he isn't comfortable with it. He'll get it out sooner or later, but if Jiraiya obliges him to tell him everything, he's afraid he'd be doing more harm than good.

A long silence stretches between the two of them again. Kakashi breaks it before Jiraiya can prompt him again, "I thought he was doing better. But, then… when I went to get him for training," Jiraiya's heart beats faster in his chest. _I wish he'd talk faster._ Jiraiya thinks as he deliberately slows his pace even further, "He didn't seem alright,"

"Yeah? How so?" Jiraiya asks light-heartedly, even if he is feeling anything but that at the moment.

"He almost seemed like he was… before. He looked sad and tired," Kakashi tries to explain, but he can't seem to say what he wants to say, "For a moment, I thought he wasn't breathing," He says in a low whisper Jiraiya only hears because he is listening intently.

"You mean… you thought he was dead?" Jiraiya asks, just to be sure. Kakashi's cheeks flush in what Jiraiya recognizes as distress, "But, he wasn't," Jiraiya reminds gently, "What made you think that?" Kakashi rubs his forehead in an attempt to block out the feelings that threatened to clog his throat.

"Because he was so _still_ ," Kakashi says after a moment, "And he was laying on his side on the floor. There was something on the floor," Kakashi pauses, either not noticing or ignoring Jiraiya's worry, "When Father turned on the lights, I could tell that it was sake, but before that…"

"Don't worry, Kakashi," Jiraiya says as he ruffles the boy's hair reassuringly, "It's okay if he felt like drinking," Jiraiya has been expecting something much, much worse, so he is relieved to hear that that's all there is to the story. However, it obviously seems to upset Kakashi, so Jiraiya continues, "Sakumo will be up and jumping around, telling everyone his lame jokes, in no time… and you know why?" Kakashi shakes his head, "It's because I'm going to be right there, kicking his butt every time he feels down. Got it?"

"You're coming to live with us?" Kakashi asks half-worriedly. It makes Jiraiya feel somewhat offended, but he forces a hearty laugh.

"Yup! Got a problem with that, brat?" Jiraiya asks as he pokes the boy's forehead, almost causing him to topple off of his shoulder had Kakashi not gripped his shoulder tightly. Jiraiya hums to break the silence that encompasses them, even as his thoughts drift elsewhere.

 _Jiraiya has just returned from a mission on the frontlines. He was tired and grubby, but he couldn't care less right now. He immediately headed to the Hokage's office to deliver his report. He had to check up on Sakumo. He knew his Hatake friend wasn't feeling very good currently, and it was his duty to make sure he wouldn't do any stupid mistake that could cost him something very dear._

 _The Sandaime stopped him before he could get out of the office with a quick call of his name, "What is it, Sensei?" Jiraiya asked impatiently. His eyes flitted to the door to show his hurry. Hiruzen intertwined his fingers and rested his chin on his folded hands._

 _"Jiraiya," The Sarutobi sighed, and at that moment, Jiraiya could see the man he's come to respect and adore age more than a hundred years right in front of his eyes, "I have a favor to ask of you," Jiraiya saw that the matter clearly worried his teacher, so he kept his mouth shut and patiently waited for what was to come, "I know that you and Hatake Sakumo are good friends, which is why I'm choosing you for this task," The Hokage paused for a moment, "The village needs all the shinobi it can get. And Hatake Sakumo is a shinobi we cannot afford to lose,"_

 _The statement made Jiraiya feel a short anger directed at the Hokage, but he quickly squashed it down to hear the rest, "I am asking you to keep an eye on him. Maybe you could help him return to being the formidable ninja he once was. Do you accept?"_

 _"What are you asking me to do, Sensei?" Jiraiya asked, not understanding just what the older ninja was insinuating._

 _"Jiraiya… Hatake Sakumo has been placed on suicide watch," Jiraiya laughed wholeheartedly._

 _"You shouldn't worry, Sensei. Sakumo's stronger than that," Jiraiya waved the Sarutobi's concerns off without another thought. The Hokage leaned back in his chair to light up his pipe, "But, I'll keep an eye on him anyways," Jiraiya amended, even though the thought of Sakumo ever contemplating_ that _seemed ridiculous to him._

 _"You'll be receiving missions normally. What I want from you is to watch him during your free time," Hiruzen said. If it were up to him, he'd have Jiraiya stay with Sakumo for a long time to make absolutely sure that committing suicide wasn't on the Hatake's to-do list. However, the current war couldn't be ignored for the sake of one man and his child._

 _"Don't worry, Sensei," Jiraiya reassured one final time before he exited the office. Hiruzen sighed as the door closed. The council wanted him to get Hatake Sakumo ready for a mission. He has become a dispensable tool, and the council was ready to send him out on a mission he might never come back from, which would, in the council's eyes, solve many problems._

 _Hiruzen sighed again. He didn't completely agree with the council's suggestion, but he couldn't disagree with it either. He just hoped that Sakumo would be ready when the time came._

-oOo-

Sakumo somehow manages to make it home without incident. He smiles as the Hatake household comes into view. He expertly treads around the innocent-looking pieces of paper, bottles and other types of trash left around his home's entrance. He doesn't care, he tells himself. _It's not important. It'll pass._ The words sound like a lie even to his ears, but Sakumo clings to them anyways.

He doesn't expect Kakashi to be home, but he sees his small shoes left neatly beside the door. He sees a larger pair of sandals beside his son's and doesn't have to think for long to know who is visiting them. The laugh he hears only supports his suspicion, and he greets Jiraiya before the door even fully opens to reveal the large man drinking tea with his son.

"Glad to see you're back okay, Jiraiya," Sakumo says before he joins the two at the low table. His son gives him a look that's halfway relieved. Sakumo doesn't understand the need for such an expression, but he gives Kakashi a small smile all the same.

"You're looking better, Sakumo," Jiraiya says as he grins wider, "Kakashi's told me that you're back to training. You're Minato's student now?" Jiraiya asks amusedly.

"He's not Minato-sensei's student," Kakashi says as he rolls his eyes exasperatedly, even though that's exactly what Sakumo has become. However, it seems like he's been repeating that statement for a while now, and knowing Jiraiya, he probably has been, but it has yet to get into the older ninja's thick head and _stay there_ , "He's helping Minato-sensei teach _me_ ," Kakashi says as if Jiraiya should have understood that by now.

"Does that mean you should start calling him Sakumo-sensei, brat?" Jiraiya asks, just to annoy the little kid even more. Kakashi falls for it and doesn't suspect that he's being played.

"No," Kakashi stresses, sighs and runs a hand over his eyes, "He could be my father and teacher at the same time. Actually, because he's my father, he's supposed to teach me stuff anyways. Is that so hard to understand?" It makes Sakumo feel his warm inside as Kakashi doesn't deny that they're related.

"What if he teaches you something useless?" Sakumo wants to glare at Jiraiya for the offhanded question.

"He won't teach me anything useless," Kakashi says before Sakumo can even blink, "He taught me how to throw two kunai from the same hand at the same time today. That's very useful," Kakashi says as he crosses his arms, "Not like you'd know the difference," Jiraiya sputters for a few moments. Sakumo is just happy Kakashi has actually defended him. His gratitude must have shown on his face because Kakashi gives him a nod as if to support him.

It gets late very quickly, Sakumo remarks to himself. The three sit and talk for a long while. It seems that with Jiraiya there, the tension that has been building up between him and Kakashi has slowly deteriorated. He vaguely wonders if maybe something has happened between them, something that Sakumo himself has yet to be made aware of.

"It's almost midnight," Sakumo comments, surreptitiously trying to tell Jiraiya that it's time to leave. The Sannin doesn't move beyond inclining his head to look at the clock.

"Yeah, you're right. Better start getting ready for bed, then," Jiraiya replies. A stretch of silence, which is only broken by the ticking of the clock, follows.

"Shouldn't you go home to rest, Jiraiya?" Sakumo asks, deciding that he better get his point across to his dense friend. Jiraiya grins widely. Sakumo takes it as a warning.

"I _am_ home!" Jiraiya declares with a thumbs up. Kakashi nods his head enthusiastically.

"What?!"

 **Author's Notes:** Just a reminder that there probably won't be an update after next week! Training with Minato starts next chapter! If you have any questions about the story or otherwise, please don't hesitate to ask :D Please review! Reviews are very appreciated!

 **A Response to the Reviews on Chapter 4:**

 **Alexa Hiwatari:** Thanks! I hope it doesn't seem that Kakashi is accepting it a bit too quickly, though. I'd love to know what you thought about that particular point. Was Kakashi seeing a scene similar to the one showing his father's suicide in the anime enough to make him make a transition, even if it's not really complete yet, or not? Do you think something else should have happened to make him start to change?

 **Guest:** Thank you so much for your kind words! Minato starts taking big steps in the next chapter, and hopefully onwards! I hope you liked reading this chapter as well :D

 **Until next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Notes:** Ummm… I'm sorry? :S I know it's been a really long time, but I do have many excuses. Things haven't exactly been going well these past few months. :( But, in all cases, I'm sorry about my prolonged absence. I'll hopefully be returning to updating my fics frequently now though.

 **Disclaimer:** I OWN NOTHING!

 **Chapter 6**

By the look on Jiraiya's face, it doesn't seem like Sakumo has a choice in all cases. He's forced to agree before he actually approves. He has a sinking feeling that he knows why Jiraiya is here. _If I had gone along with what I had planned…_ Sakumo thinks as he remembers that time he sat with his sharp, handy tanto, contemplating what would have been an irreversible decision, _Jiraiya would have been just a wee bit too late._

The action he thought of that day makes him sick now, and Sakumo can't quite bear to look his friend in the eye. Jiraiya, for all his acts of stupidity and bouts of perverseness, is still oddly perceptive, and Sakumo knows Jiraiya suspects something, though Sakumo can tell the Sage can't quite tell what it is Sakumo is trying to hide, not yet at the very least.

He can tell Jiraiya is about to send his son away to his room. He can tell his friend will speak to him privately, and when Sakumo refuses to tell him what the matter is, he knows Jiraiya will force him to by some method.

Thus, Sakumo opens his mouth before Jiraiya does, effectively stopping any inquiries for this night, "Fine. But, don't touch anything you're not supposed to. And more importantly, don't break anything," Sakumo says as he crosses his arms, trying for a casual, friendly demand, but it's all a façade, hastily put up for Sakumo's peace of mind. Jiraiya can see right through it, though, but Kakashi can't, and that's good enough for Sakumo.

"What's that supposed to mean, Sakumo?" Jiraiya doesn't call him out on the bluff, and Sakumo is grateful, "I'm a grown, respectable adult, I'll have you know!" Jiraiya says with a hint of a whine in his voice as he points dramatically at the elder Hatake. Sakumo rolls his eyes in exasperation. Kakashi remains silent, observing, considering. Sakumo doesn't know what he's looking for, and he doesn't have long to think about it. Kakashi excuses himself too soon after.

Sakumo escapes before Jiraiya has a chance to stop him, though Sakumo knows Jiraiya could have had he really wanted to. Jiraiya leaves him be, but Sakumo knows it won't be the case for long, especially if Jiraiya really is here for the reason Sakumo suspects.

Sakumo doesn't check in on Jiraiya as a host usually would have done. He immediately heads to the bathroom, washes his face with cold water as the graveness of what he almost did settles in and lets out a deep, long sigh. _Never again._ He promises himself and means it. He won't go back on a promise made to himself, of that he's sure. He goes to bed, trying hard not to think of what might have been.

That night, Sakumo dreams of a human-turned-machine that murders without batting an eye. A tool so sharpened for the sake of the village and the Will of Fire, the child soldier grows up to be a deadly war machine: emotionless, cold, distant… just what the village needs. With its short tanto clenched in its fist, the man-machine looks at Sakumo with dead eyes-

Sakumo wakes up in a cold sweat and hurries to the bathroom. He retches violently. He doesn't want to believe that he's seen Kakashi.

-oOo-

Jiraiya turns off the lights and lays on his side on a futon. He's definitely felt something amiss earlier during the evening. There is something Sakumo is hiding from him. Whatever it is, it isn't good, if the hasty escape Sakumo has ventured through is anything to go by.

Alarm bells ring in Jiraiya's head. He ignores them. Sakumo is one of the most level-headed people he knows. Surely, it isn't as his old teacher fears. _But, if it isn't… then what could it be?_ Jiraiya finds himself thinking. He can throw a few wild guesses, but all of them are so ridiculous that Jiraiya throws them away a second later.

It hasn't escaped him that, ever since he's declared his indefinite stay at the Hatake household, Sakumo couldn't look him in the eye. _Exactly like he's hiding something big. But, what is it?_ Jiraiya asks himself, ponders the question for a few more moments before sighing to himself, perplexed.

Jiraiya is so taken with his thoughts that he almost doesn't hear a door opening followed by hasty footsteps then a door closed shut with a thud. He gets up immediately. His next actions are driven more by instinct than any actual thought. He heads to where he could hear sounds. As he gets closer, he calls out, "Kakashi?" Because, surely, Sakumo would never be so noisy. Surely, the kid felt like he really, extremely needed the toilet, and he ran to the toilet in a messy hurry. He'd have to speak to Minato about the kid's skills, if that's the case.

He hears the water running and waits patiently. A full five minutes later, the door opens to reveal Sakumo instead. Jiraiya tries to imagine Sakumo, instead of his son, running to the toilet, clutching his clothes and praying he'd make it in time before the water works are inevitably set loose, and he tries to stifle a chuckle.

He isn't quite as successful as he thought he'd be, Sakumo's expression tells him that much. It's obvious to him that Sakumo doesn't want to talk to him right now, so Jiraiya does what he's really good at. He grins enthusiastically at his friend and places a firm arm around his shoulders, leading him to the living room for a late night-or is it an early morning?- chat.

Sakumo's steps are hesitant. Jiraiya can feel his chakra wound up, as if he is readying a shunshin, then relax, as if he thought twice about his idea of escape to find that it is utterly useless. The Toad Sage is sticking around for a while, and there is no way Sakumo would leave his house because of that, so how long can he really escape the other for?

Jiraiya forces him to sit, then, he moves to sit across from him, "Alright, Sakumo. Time to spill the beans!" Jiraiya says in a loud boom. Sakumo's face clenches in alarm.

"Kakashi is-" Sakumo can't quite continue, and he almost wants to lock himself up in the toilet until he can think of Kakashi as his overly intelligent, sweet boy instead of the cold-blooded machine his mind has imagined.

Jiraiya is quite handy when silences stretch for too long. He waits just enough for Sakumo to try and pick up his scattered thoughts before he speaks, taking a mental note to ask about Kakashi when Sakumo is less tense, "Sakumo… There's something you're not telling me," Jiraiya says in a lower voice, aiming for the tone of hurt that always works on Sakumo. As expected, his friend's mouth thins into a straight line, "It worries me, honestly," Sakumo snorts, his lips pull into a frown as he scoffs.

"Keeping secrets is not the end of the world, Jiraiya," Sakumo says as he crosses his arms, deciding not to preserve the fact that he is actually keeping a secret an untold truth. _Defensive, much…?_ Jiraiya asks himself.

"No, it's not," Jiraiya says, forcing a laugh to diffuse some of the built up tension, "But, as your friend, Sakumo… Look, I know there are tons of things bothering you right now. You can talk to me. I'll listen," Jiraiya says in a reassuring tone.

"I don't want to talk, Jiraiya," Sakumo says, his tone is oddly drained. He's also been looking at the wall clock above Jiraiya's head a lot, Jiraiya notices. Sakumo's eyes focus on Jiraiya's face, visible now that dawn is nearly here, "Can you make sure breakfast is made on time?" Sakumo says, standing up as if to end the conversation before it really starts. No mention of Kakashi, Jiraiya notes and wonders why, "I have something I need to do," Sakumo says in way of explanation, as if that tells Jiraiya anything useful.

Jiraiya finds that he's treading in unknown waters. One wrong step could get him further away from his objective. He hasn't been paying enough attention to his friend, and now, he doesn't know how to proceed with Sakumo, "Sure," He gets out, but Sakumo has already left the room.

Jiraiya runs a hand through his hair, wincing as he reaches a knot. He hears the front door closing, and he knows he and Kakashi are the only ones left in the house.

He tries to think about Sakumo and his odd behavior, but he finds that his mind is too sluggish. It, then, occurs to Jiraiya that he hasn't slept properly that night. He looks at the clock. He has about ten minutes before it's six o'clock, a bit more than an hour before it's seven o'clock, two hours and ten minutes before it's eight o'clock, th- Jiraiya cuts his thoughts short and decides that a little sleep before he prepares breakfast wouldn't do anyone any harm.

-oOo-

Sakumo arrives right on time to find that Minato is already waiting for him, "Good morning, Hatake-san," Minato greets politely. Sakumo smiles amiably at the younger ninja.

"It's just Sakumo, really," Sakumo says as he rubs the back of his head. This man is wasting his free time on him. He's willing to work together with the former White Fang to help him regain his strength, even though almost everyone else wouldn't even look twice at the disgraced ninja, unless they had something insulting to say. The least he can do is let go of the formalities.

"Right," Minato smiles back, taking the correction in stride, "Let's begin, then," Minato says with a nod. Sakumo agrees internally, but refrains from saying anything. He can train alone, but what he needs is an understanding sparring partner to help him correct his faults quickly and efficiently. Though Jiraiya would have been Sakumo's first choice under normal circumstances, Minato found out about Sakumo's deteriorating abilities first. Sakumo wants as few people to find out about his weakness as possible, even if that means not telling Jiraiya anything, "Let's have a quick spar first. It'll help us know what we need to do. I won't be holding back, so please don't either," The last bit is completely unnecessary, in Sakumo's opinion, for obvious reasons. The blonde seems to realize what he's thinking, but other than an arched brow, there is no outer reaction.

"Got it," Sakumo says, slipping into a formerly well-practiced fighting stance, keeping his tanto clenched tightly in his hand and trying not to think about war machines and child soldiers. The impromptu training session he forced himself to go through earlier helps him make the stance look more like how it used to be, though it is not as perfect as it was. Minato twirls a kunai of the weirdest shape Sakumo has seen between his fingers.

At a seemingly predetermined signal, they both spring into action. The sound of clashing metal is heard, though it doesn't last. Sakumo slashes horizontally at his opponent almost immediately after his first attack has failed. Minato jumps backwards easily. His foe's moves, though not very predictable, are easy to counter. His movements are slow.

Sakumo forces chakra into his tanto, making it glow white. Minato is extra careful now. He knows he doesn't want that tanto anywhere in him anytime soon; his teacher's stories about Konoha's White Fang and his trusty tanto are enough of an incentive to keep going. Sakumo slashes a number of times, but he misses each time. A slash from the left to angle Minato to that direction. Then, a slight jump backwards and a hail of shuriken thrown from above to make him focus on the top left. A quick shunshin and a stab from the right to end it before his opponent sees his chakra blade coming. Though he knows what to do and how to trap Minato, he is too slow to go along with it. Minato sees what he's trying to accomplish each time, and he reacts accordingly.

Sakumo refrains from using any jutsus. He's forgotten quite a bit of them, and he has yet to reacquaint himself with the ones he remembers. He's too afraid of the possibility of failure, so he doesn't try for now.

Minato takes on the offensive this time around. His renowned speed helps him land one, two, three punches onto Sakumo's abdomen and chest. He stops when his last punch proves to be a bit too hard. Sakumo staggers with an 'Oof', but he stays standing, glaring for the stronger punch. Minato is glad that he still stands strong. He's not as bad as Minato first thought he'd be. _He has the motivation. All he needs now is the training to back it up…_ With that thought in mind, Minato lurches forward to go on the offensive once more.

-oOo-

" _I have to go now," Sakumo says, looking odd and quite unlike himself. He almost looks embarrassed. Jiraiya would tease him if the time were right for it._

" _Go where?" Jiraiya asks, dreading the answer._

" _Listen… it's complicated," Sakumo says, looking anywhere but at Jiraiya. The Sage is instantly on edge._

" _What is it, Sakumo?" Jiraiya asks forcefully. Sakumo, if possible, shrinks even more._

" _You can't tell Kakashi," Sakumo says, a bit of unease crawling as he says his son's name. Jiraiya nods to show that he will do as he's been asked. Sakumo searches his face for any tells, finds none then sighs as he says, "I'll probably be gone for the day," Sakumo says, stopping to collect his thoughts._

" _Why?" Jiraiya asks when he's gotten nervous enough._

" _I," Sakumo looks highly uncomfortable, as if he isn't sure Jiraiya is the right person he should say this to, "There's this girl, and we're going on a date,"_

" _At six o'clock?" Jiraiya asks disbelievingly, "In the morning?!"_

" _Well, I didn't want Kakashi to find out," Sakumo explains, his lips pulling into a straight line, "So-"_

" _Don't worry," Jiraiya says, his mind already working up scenarios for his new book, "Kakashi will never find out until you want him to," Sakumo nods gratefully and leaves. It all clicks in Jiraiya's mind now. Sakumo couldn't look him in the eye because he was embarrassed. He couldn't speak about Kakashi because he was afraid of his reaction. He was acting oddly because he is in love!_

 _It's great news for Jiraiya. There is no way Sakumo would ever consider suicide when he's found love again! All is right in the world, and Jiraiya can go relieve his old teacher. Hatake Sakumo will be just fine._

"-ake up! Wake up! Wake up!" He hears an annoying voice say over and over, its tone gets louder and noisier. Jiraiya stirs, then, he wakes up when the insistent person doesn't lay off. He glares at Kakashi. The boy has the audacity to glare right back, "Where's my father?" Jiraiya almost tells him that he's indulging his bright flames of love, then, he remembers that he's promised Sakumo he won't tell Kakashi about that. It takes him a good minute to remember that Sakumo's love story is only a fable cooked up by his imagination.

"He left early," Jiraiya says finally in a scratchy voice, "Why are _you_ here, brat? Don't you have training with Minato?" Jiraiya looks at the clock to confirm the time and is surprised when he finds that it's already nine o'clock.

"No. Minato-sensei sent a toad earlier. He cancelled training for the day," Kakashi says, then, he adds as an afterthought, "He didn't say why," Jiraiya doesn't quite hear him. _Sakumo should be home by now._ Jiraiya thinks. Where would a disgraced White Fang go to for such a long time? He's loathed by most of the villagers. Surely, Sakumo wouldn't want to stay there longer than strictly necessary. Right?

But, Jiraiya finds that he's understanding his friend less and less with every passing day. His odd behavior, his repeated avoidance of breaching topics with Jiraiya, his inability to speak about Kakashi, his long, unexplained absence… _He couldn't be…_ Jiraiya thinks, his eyes widening as his thoughts go wild. He stands up, startling Kakashi, who has been reading a scroll on chakra control ever since Jiraiya has stopped listening to him, "Stay here," Jiraiya manages to order before he's out of the house. He needs to find Sakumo and fast. _Before he does something he'll regret!_

-oOo-

Sakumo leans against a nearby tree after their spar comes to a close. He's tired and panting, but he doesn't let himself lay on the ground like he wants to. He takes deep breaths and lets them out slowly. Minato isn't as winded, but at least he looks like he's been in a fight. Sakumo thinks that's a small victory.

"What we have to work on first is," Minato stops for a moment. Sakumo thinks Jiraiya's dramatic tendencies have rubbed onto him, "Confidence,"

 **Author's Notes:** So… what do you think Jiraiya's conclusion is? :D Tell me what you think in a review or a pm! ;) Also, did you like this chapter? You didn't? I'd love to hear your thoughts! I'd also love to thank Alexa Hiwatari and Magicadoremi for their continued support! You guys got an update earlier than planned because of their pms sent to remind me of this story :S

 **A Response to the Reviews on Chapter 5:**

 **ShadowSSJ:** Thanks for the review :) I intend to continue writing chapters and I hope you are still eager to read more. ;)

 **Yukiooxp:** I'm glad you like this story. :D I hope you're still interested though:S

 **Person:** Is it bad that I still laugh whenever I read your review? XD Thanks for the review! I think that Jiraiya would totally say something like that XD

 **Alexa Hiwatari:** Thank you so much for all your support! You sent me awesome suggestions that I intend to try and use :D I just hope I don't end up disappointing you XD I also agree with most of what you've suggested and said, especially the bit about Sakumo and the villagers, both in your review and pm as I have previously told you ;) Things in the Naruto world always go deep, and I intend to have the same happen in this story, so stay tuned ;)

 **wildtrance:** I appreciate the review! :D It depends on Jiraiya and his deductive skills… or Sakumo and his willingness to talk XD

I'm really sorry for my absence, everyone. As for updates, I can't set a day yet, as I still haven't gotten my life back on track. However, there will be updates, and I will try my best to make them frequent.

Thanks for your support.

 **Until next time!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Notes:** Hi! Um… Hi? Anyone still reading? XD Well, I hope you are! Thank you to all you wonderful readers who have supported me so far! Here's a little recap of what has occurred in the story so far because it's been a long time since the last update:

On the day that was to be his chosen death day, Hatake Sakumo contemplated the sharp tanto that has served him in battle for years. He briefly remembered the mission that would be his last after this day, and he stared resolutely at the shining metal of his most trusted blade. As he made to finally end his, and his son's, suffering at the hands of the villagers he's sworn to protect, his hand threw the blade away, and he decided to stand tall and fight back. However, he quickly realized that his skills had deteriorated; the reason for the quick loss inexplicable to the determined man. Then, his son's teacher, Namikaze Minato offered his assistance, and the two have had one training session so far. Minato ended the training session by saying that Sakumo lacked confidence in himself, and thus, they would be working on that for now. Jiraiya, however, came to a startling realization about his friend's state of mind. In his worry, Jiraiya hastily sprinted through the village in search of his friend, hoping to be in time to stop what Jiraiya feared was his friend's suicide.

 **Disclaimer:** I OWN NOTHING!

 **Chapter 7**

Jiraiya's heart threatens to leap out of his chest as his thoughts run wild and his imagination projects violent acts he hopes Sakumo isn't so stupid as to go through with. He licks suddenly dry lips as his hands shiver, even as they go through the familiar seals for a summoning jutsu. His toads… he can trust them. They can find Sakumo, even if he can't. They can stop him for long enough; just enough time for Jiraiya to get there and scream some sense into Sakumo's ears, hoping the words would reach his brain and _stick_ there.

Jiraiya looks everywhere. Over the Third's head is his first destination; it's one of Sakumo's favorite places, he thinks. But, then, when he doesn't find Sakumo there, he mentally kicks himself. Sakumo would never do such a deed somewhere he cherishes; thus, the reason he has not dared to do it in his own home thus far.

Jiraiya searches abandoned areas next, but not even the few people loitering there have even seen Sakumo.

Then, thankfully, his toads report back, and Jiraiya can breathe a little easier, "He appears to be fighting your student, Jiraiya-boy," His own worried summon says as he approaches Jiraiya in two quick bounds, "Minato looks just fine. Sakumo looks tired," Jiraiya pales. There's no reason for Sakumo to be tired while Minato wouldn't also be if it were a normal match.

"Is either injured?" Jiraiya asks, his tone coming off more panic-stricken than he'd hoped. The toad shakes his head, causing Jiraiya to emit a short sigh in relief. _No need to go to the hospital first to bring a medic, then._ Jiraiya is convinced that if Sakumo were to attack Minato earnestly in his current state of mind, Minato would need immediate medical attention as he might not want to hurt Sakumo badly, which could prove to be a mistake. Even in his state, Sakumo is no less dangerous than ever. His heart rests a little easier, knowing that Sakumo isn't so far gone as to hurt a fellow Leaf nin too severely, "Take me to them," Jiraiya orders swiftly. The toad quickly obeys.

-oOo-

"Confidence…?" Sakumo prompts when Minato falls silent. He raises a brow at the younger man, who grins feverishly back. Minato might be more affected than he knows by his crush: one Uzumaki Kushina… if Jiraiya is to be believed.

"Confidence," Minato says with a nod before he trails off. His eyes gain that calculating glint that Sakumo is sure has gained him his fearsome reputation. He wonders what's going on in his head, and even contemplates prodding him for more information once the silence stretches for too long; a thoughtful silence that Sakumo finds familiar, though he can't put his finger on the reason for this sense of familiarity.

Minato speaks again before Sakumo's thoughts lead him anywhere useful, "When we were sparring earlier… I noticed something I'm sure you have too," Minato starts, biting his bottom lip as he obviously makes an effort to get his words out in what he perceives to be the right way; a diplomatic move, though Sakumo doesn't think any is needed here. Minato is giving him an expectant look Sakumo is late to notice, but the blonde neither says nor does nothing, save for a slight upturning of his lips.

Sakumo narrows his eyes as he thinks back to the spar they've had just a few hours ago, "I'm not sure if it's the same thing you've noticed… but, I've noticed that my movements have grown slower," Sakumo says before he clears his throat, "Much, much slower than I used to be. All due to lack of training, I think," Sakumo says, though even as his mouth twists into a frown, his eyes never lose the determined fire, the will to return to his former strength and become even better.

"Slower," Minato says with a slight nod, "Slower, true," He repeats, making it obvious he wants Sakumo to focus on that, "Not only due to lack of training though," Minato continues, "From the eyes of your opponent, it… looked like you were second-guessing your moves," Minato reports, deciding to take the direct route instead of constantly beating around the bush, "That, I believe… is the main problem,"

"So… you're saying," Sakumo prompts, already getting the gist of what Minato is saying.

"You haven't lost your skills, Sakumo-san," Minato says with a soft, encouraging smile, "Nor did your body forget the moves it spent decades perfecting. No," Minato shakes his head, "I think…" Minato hesitates clearly then. He isn't sure it would be wise to continue. He doesn't know how well Sakumo would react to his idea.

"Go on," Sakumo encourages, giving Minato an easy smile.

"That mission… the one you last went on," Minato starts after a long pause.

"The one I failed," Sakumo mutters, giving Minato a nod to go on.

"Precisely," Minato says, allowing Sakumo to hold the thought for a bit before saying, "It made you… question your judgment. You did what you thought was right, but… it wasn't accepted by the vast majority. And so…" Minato trails off, not wanting to continue any further. He's afraid he's crossing an invisible line he shouldn't venture beyond. The Third has warned him about Sakumo's mental health, and Minato doesn't want to be the one to throw him off the edge.

"I see," Sakumo says as he rubs the back of his head. His eyes are unreadable, something that makes Minato worry. The young teacher is largely concerned that his own explanation might have not sat well with the older man, and… Minato can't bear to imagine the consequences of his words. The silence Sakumo is insisting on keeping is not very encouraging, and it doesn't help Minato any.

Just then, the two hear a rustle from between the leaves. A second later, Jiraiya emerges, landing in one of his unique entry poses and emitting a war cry that drops halfway through.

"Uh… You aren't fighting," Jiraiya comments first, as if the discovery is new and unexpected. Sakumo and Minato blink owlishly at him. Jiraiya feels a little self-conscious under their stares.

"Why… would we be fighting, Sensei?" Minato breaks the awkward silence that falls upon the trio, "Were you… spying on us or something?" Minato asks, very aware of the timing of Jiraiya's sudden appearance… even though Jiraiya appears when one least expects him to. Minato is suddenly very worried about Sakumo's reaction, and he looks towards Sakumo with a nervous look he fails to hide.

"What? No!" Jiraiya denies immediately afterwards, casting the look Minato throws Sakumo to the back of his mind and deeming it unimportant. Jiraiya lets out a hearty chuckle as is normal of him in awkward situations, or when he's trying to get out of a particularly hard-to-explain situation. Sakumo thinks it's a little bit of both this time, "Oh ho! Now, why would I be spying on you? Having long hair or a girly face does not a beautiful woman make, after all!" Jiraiya lets out another one of his hearty laughs, "What are you two doing all the way out here anyways, kiddos?"

The second look Minato throws Sakumo is not ignored by Jiraiya, and he casts that one away along with the first, "Well… um, we…" Minato isn't sure what sort of excuse he'd use, really. He and Sakumo are out here in one of the training grounds. There's only one thing they could be doing really.

"We… were," Sakumo speaks, and Minato thinks they'd be saved. He might not completely understand why Sakumo wouldn't want Jiraiya to know of his training, but… maybe it's just because he doesn't want a lot of people to know of his temporary disability, "Counting… clouds?" Minato would face-palm at the excuse, but it, by some miracle, seems to work fine on his teacher, "Maybe… you'd like… to count clouds again, Minato-san?"

"Ah, yes. Um, yeah. Counting clouds," Minato says, hoping his tone isn't as awkward as he feels, "Tomorrow, same time?" Sakumo stays long enough to nod before he disappears in a puff of smoke. Then, Jiraiya gives Minato a look that says that he really wasn't convinced by the hasty excuse Sakumo's used. _It was a pretty bad excuse…_ Minato thinks in the safety of his mind.

"Spill, brat,"

-oOo-

Just because his teacher cancelled training doesn't mean that little Kakashi is going to sit in his house all day, doing nothing. He chooses one of the training grounds to train by himself. He practices the cool trick his father showed him the other day. He'd be one step closer to being stronger than both his teacher and his father after he perfects this technique.

However, Kakashi doesn't get more than an hour of his private practice until a voice interrupts him and breaks his concentration.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," The voice says, seemingly talking to itself, "Can't I do anything right?" Kakashi is annoyed, "Can't even throw a kunai straight… Some ninja I am!" The voice seems to be repeating things others have said about it because it uses the tone Kakashi hears in his own head when he thinks about his father and the failed mission; the disgrace. Kakashi contemplates what to do. On one hand, he really needs to get this training done, and he doesn't need pesky voices to keep him from fulfilling his task… On the other, Kakashi… knows what the voice's owner is going through.

Kakashi makes a split second decision, and he doesn't allow himself time to think it over further, "Hey, you… Who are you?" The squeak that follows along with the pained grunt make Kakashi question his choice.

 **Author's Notes:** Who do you think the new character is? :D I think you can guess; it's pretty easy XD I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thank you for sticking with me this long, even though the update speed is less than satisfactory… I'm going to try to squeeze in time for writing, though I do have other stories that also need updates, so please be patient! Thank you!

 **A Response to the Reviews on Chapter 6:**

 **Huntress9894:** I can't believe it's been this long since I started this fic XD I hope to be able to continue to update, but RL always takes precedence :S I just love kid Kakashi XD Thanks for your review, and I wish you enjoyed this chapter :D

 **wildtrance:** XD I like the idea of a pack snuggle :3 Good idea :D Thanks for the review, and I'm glad last chapter made you laugh a bit! I hope you liked this chapter!

 **Tobi Uchiha-chan:** I think you're going to like the new addition to the story :3 (Oops… big hint XD) Thanks for reviewing! I hope you enjoyed this chapter :D

 **Sadt6:** I'm glad you think so, I was going for weird XD Thanks for the review and I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well :D

 **I hope you all have a wonderful year! :D Until next time!**


End file.
